Jesus answering, said to them: I also will ask you one word, which if you shall tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.
αποκριθεις δε ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ερωτησω υμας καγω λογον ενα ον εαν ειπητε μοι καγω υμιν ερω εν ποια εξουσια ταυτα ποιω
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse
What, then, can we say about Christ? He refrains from giving them a straightforward response, indicating that they could have recognized His authority had they truly wished to, yet instead, He poses a question to them.
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See Matthew 21:23.
The religious authorities, envious of the power He demonstrated when He expelled the merchants from the temple, approached Him with an inquiry: “Who do You think You are, driving the merchants from the temple? Did You take this action under the authority of a priest? Yet You are not a priest. Or do You consider Yourself a king? However, You are not a king. Even if You were a king, such actions would be beyond Your rights, for kings have no dominion in the temple.
If He were to claim, ‘I act by my own authority,’ they could brand Him a dissident who has usurped power; but if He were to assert, ‘I act by the authority granted to me by God,’ they would sway the crowds, who revered Him as God, and reveal to the people that He was not divine, depicting Him instead as a servant operating under God’s authority.
He remained silent, for they did not come to Him with the intent to learn but rather as adversaries and foes.
The common saying goes, “A flawed nail or wedge must be driven into a faulty branch of a tree.” This is akin to the Russian proverb, “You drive out the wedge with another wedge.” The Lord had the ability to openly denounce the blasphemies of the tempters, yet He presented them with a shrewd inquiry, allowing them to either remain silent or respond in a way that would incriminate themselves.
Had they acknowledged that John's baptism came from heaven—as they had observed for themselves—they would have faced the follow-up question, “Why did you not submit to baptism by John?” Conversely, if they had attempted to claim that it stemmed from mere human contrivance lacking any divine essence, they would have risked offending the populace; for the crowds unanimously accepted John's baptism and regarded him as a prophet. Consequently, the unprincipled crowd responded with an expression of humility, stating that they “did not know,” thereby attempting to shield themselves from the implications of a perilous question.
Aware of their unyielding wickedness, the Lord posed an astute question, not for them to grasp and respond to, but to prevent them from obstructing Him with further inquiries, for He had decreed: Do not give what is holy to dogs (Matt. 7:6); they were not to violate His divine command. Even if He had provided a straightforward answer, it would have been of no benefit to them, as the will, shrouded in darkness, cannot perceive what belongs to the light. What value is there in presenting beauty to one who is blind? Spiritual blindness is rooted in wickedness. Just as a blind individual cannot appreciate the glory of light, so too is a sinful person unable to comprehend the deep truths of godliness.
Like a skilled hunter who seeks to capture prey, digging a pit and setting a net nearby so that the animal, in its attempt to escape, might either be ensnared or fall in, the Lord laid a trap by asking the chief priests and elders a straightforward question: if they acknowledged John as having come from heaven, He could retort, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ However, if they had claimed that John was of this world, they risked inciting the ire of the people and facing death, as if they had stumbled into a pit while fleeing danger. Thus, it was essential for the Lord to instruct the questioners, and to weaken the tempter by disarming the treachery of the inquiry with sound reasoning, without disclosing the truth of His own mystery. The Lord responded similarly to the devil, who misquoted the sacred text, without comprehending its true meaning: it is written: He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone (Matthew 4:6; Psalm 90:11-12). Rather than stating, ‘This is not the true implication of Scripture,’ the Lord allowed the devil to remain in misunderstanding and offered a more profound example, thereby restraining his arrogance while keeping the prophetic mystery concealed.
In response, Jesus said, “I have a question for you; if you provide me with a clear answer, I will reveal the authority behind my actions.” The scribes remained quiet, indicating their acquiescence. They typically responded to inquiries by posing another question, which was considered a mark of respect for the one answering in such a manner.
The Sanhedrin, having already resolved to execute Him, sought merely to create the illusion of justice and looked for a way to bring charges against Him on both religious and political grounds. They aimed to find something in His teachings that could be twisted into accusations of improper conduct in spiritual matters or to raise suspicions about His political beliefs. When they encountered the Lord in the temple, they promptly sought to question Him through their members, asking, "By what authority does He perform such acts?" This inquiry likely extended beyond just His temple activities and encompassed all aspects of His mission as the Messiah.
The Lord, aware of their hidden motives, refrained from a direct response and instead turned the question back on them, presenting a query that would complicate their deceptive agenda. “Who granted John the authority to do what he did? Was his commission merely of human origin or Divine?” If they had claimed the latter, they would have feared the unfavorable implications arising from their own reasoning. Conversely, they were also wary of denying it, as this could provoke the common people, who revered John as a prophet, against them. Ultimately, they provided a vague reply: “We do not know,” prompting the Lord to respond to them in a similar manner. They should have answered truthfully; had they done so, it might have led them to the resolution of the very question they had posed.
On Tuesday, when Jesus entered the temple and began to teach, His discussions with the crowd were disrupted by the chief priests and scribes. They approached Him as representatives of the Sanhedrin (similar to the delegation sent to John the Baptist, as noted in John 1:19, etc.) and inquired about the authority by which He was carrying out His actions, such as purging the temple of merchants. They wanted to know who had conferred this authority upon Him—whether it was divine or merely human. In response, Jesus posed His own question: Was John a prophet or a fraud? Since it was evident that John was indeed a prophet sent by God, this question from Jesus implicitly provided an answer concerning His own identity.
John had testified about Jesus as the Messiah, which the chief priests and scribes recognized, prompting them to avoid an affirmative response. Nevertheless, they feared providing a negative answer, as the crowd revered John as a prophet. Thus, they replied, 'We do not know!' Consequently, Jesus chose not to offer them a straightforward answer to their inquiry.
Jesus, aware of the intentions of the Pharisees concerning John the Baptist, chose not to respond to their inquiry directly. Instead, He posed a question to them, the answer to which could indirectly address their concerns. In essence, He prompted them to come to their own conclusion. He said, "I will also ask you one thing; answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things."
This betrayal ultimately backfired on themselves. Anticipating their malicious intent, Christ, in His divine wisdom, posed a question to them, stating that He would respond if they first answered Him: “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” This inquiry swiftly perplexed those interrogating Him, resulting in a brief silence. “Answer Me,” the Savior urged, cutting through their hushed deliberations. Yet they remained silent; they fully grasped the significance and intent of His question. There was no way to dismiss it as ancillary. John had boldly and clearly testified about Jesus, acknowledging Him not just as a prophet but as the greatest prophet and the Messiah, even before the most esteemed members of the Sanhedrin.
The crucial issue was whether they accepted this testimony or not. It was evident that Christ had every right to seek an answer from them before providing His own. However, they could not, or rather would not, respond. He had effectively placed them in a dilemma. They would not affirm “from heaven,” as they rejected that notion; yet they feared saying “from men,” for their faith in John was so deep and unanimous, as even noted by Josephus, that to outright deny it would endanger their own positions.
I will pose a question to you: while the Lord refrained from providing a direct response to their malevolent inquiry, He expertly ensnared those who sought to trap Him with their words. They had the opportunity to recognize the authority behind His actions but chose not to, and the Lord skillfully guided them through their inquiry about John the Baptist, leading them to admit their own deceit. The Lord’s ministry was a fulfillment of John’s, indicating that both were sent from the same Divine Source. The Lord then posed the question, “From where was John’s baptism?” This inquiry encapsulates the essence of John’s entire ministry as God’s messenger, prophet, teacher, and forerunner of the Lord.
The ministry of John begs the question, “Was it from heaven or from men?”—essentially asking whether John was divinely appointed or merely a man feigning to be God's messenger and thereby deceiving the people. The individuals interrogating Him found themselves in a clear dilemma, responding, “Why then did you not believe him?” considering that John had persistently and clearly declared Jesus to be the Messiah. They expressed their fear of the populace: “We fear the people.” Here we see the corruption of their hearts; they neglected God while acting in accordance with the opinions of men. They feared John not for his own sake, but for the people’s sake, and in turn, they were unwilling to believe in Jesus Christ, which was the root of all their troubles (Chrysostom). In reply, they said, “We do not know.” This was a blatant falsehood; they were aware but chose not to admit their knowledge. This is why the Lord refrained from addressing their initial question regarding the authority behind His actions, as the answer was evident to both the questioners and all present from the nature of Jesus’ inquiry into their motives. “And I will not tell you,” He stated—not because He lacked knowledge but because the truth cannot be spoken in unrighteousness (Jer.).
However, Christ, the embodiment of true Wisdom, entangles the learned in their own deception. He posed a singular question, responding, “If you inquire of Me, I will reveal to you the source of My authority for these acts. From where did John's baptism originate—was it from heaven or of human origin? Answer me.” The simple and honest reply to this inquiry held the key to the dilemma presented to the Lord by His adversaries. The ministry of John was inextricably connected to that of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s forerunner was divinely appointed to bear witness to the genuine light that illuminates every individual—Christ (John 1:6-9). John regarded himself merely as a friend of the Divine Bridegroom, unworthy to even loosen the sandal strap of His feet (John 1:27; John 3:29-31).
If the significance of John's ministry was so profound, then the calling and identity of the one whom he identified as coming from above, from heaven and the utmost heights (John 3:31), were even more exalted. Acknowledging John as God's messenger would have compelled the challengers to endorse his testimony regarding Christ. Yet, to assert that John was simply a man, devoid of any divine purpose, posed a significant threat to their standing among the populace. The questioners found themselves in a precarious situation and began deliberating among each other, saying, “If we claim it is from heaven, He will question us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we declare it is from man, we fear the people, for they would stone us, knowing that John is a prophet, universally recognized as such.”
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 23 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS